Ed Defense Force
by ThelightningMeister
Summary: We've all seen those cheesy alien invasion movies. Aliens invade, kick our butts a bit, then we make a comeback, rinse and repeat. Well, what happens when our favorite trio of dorks wind up in the middle of a real one? You're gonna find out! Will the Eds have what it takes when the Primers attack Earth? I guess we'll see. THE EDF DEPLOYS!
1. Chapter 1

AN

Quick note before I begin. This is the first fanfic I've ever written, let alone published on the site, so I don't expect to be on Harper Lee levels of literary talent. That said, I welcome constructive criticism and advice. I've been tossing the idea for this story around in my head for months and decided to take the plunge. With that boring crap out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One: Calm Before The Hurricane

Chirping birds, somewhat cloudy sky, warm weather. This is what the residents of the Peach Creek cul-de-sac get to enjoy. A large group of middle school aged kids populate this seemingly uneventful suburban area, with their families, naturally. One, a boy in a green sweater and red baseball hat can be seen storing his bike by the garage of his house, another, a young man with a yellow shirt and blue hair, an immigrant, is sowing seeds in the miniature farm behind his house. And the three most notable individuals are already up and about as well.

In one of the houses, a relatively short boy walks out the bathroom after finishing his morning shower. He puts on his typical clothes, a yellow bowling shirt, jeans and sneakers, being careful not to forget the wallet chain he always keeps on his person.

"Man, I really gotta get my sleep schedule under control." he mutters, seemingly annoyed at his own inability to get up at a decent hour. He flops back onto his bed, grabbing a car magazine from under his pillow. Before he even has a chance to flip it open, the antique phone on the nightstand next to his bed rings. With a mumble of annoyance, he reaches and answers.

"Yeeeeeeellow?" he says nonchalantly. "Good morning Eddy! I hope I haven't called at a bad time." The voice, chipper as always, belonging to a close friend of his. "Nah nah, I'm good Double Dee. What's up?" he responds, still slightly drowsy.

"Oh I'm just finishing up packing for the big field trip we'll be going on tomorrow! I have to admit, I haven't been this excited in a long time!" The now named "Double Dee" responds, excitement clear in his tone.

"...whats it now?" Replies Eddy, seemingly having no idea what his friend is talking about.

"Oh come now Eddy! You've forgotten? The field trip the class is taking to the newly constructed EDF base outside of town!"

A sudden realization washes over Eddy, as the memory of the announcement of a large field trip 2 weeks ago comes back to him. "Ooooooh right, that's the uh...Earth Defense Force, right? That new military that a bunch of countries put together?"

"Precisely Eddy!" Double Dee answers back. "They've got some of the best technology ever made, and I'm ecstatic to finally have a chance to see it up close!'

'Oh right...' Eddy silently thinks to himself. Now he remembers. An announcement came over the loudspeaker 2 weeks prior at Peach Creek Junior High, informing the students of the recent completion of the newest base for the "Earth Defense Force" a multi-national military funded by all the member nations. They were going to be taking a field trip to the new base as some kind of open house exhibition, showing off the tech and equipment the EDF has at its disposal.

"I can hardly wait! I"ve heard the EDF is looking for technicians and engineers, so it may not be a bad idea to learn about career opportunities!" Double Dee says, obviously ecstatic about the prospects of being employed by such a seemingly advanced organization after graduating.

"Uh-huh...neat." Replies Eddy. He had considered a military career, mostly inspired by playing shooter video games, but really wasn't sure it was for him.

"I can't say I'm surprised at your lack of interest Eddy. I recently got off the phone with Ed, and he seems even more excited than me."

"Well, that ain't really a shocker, since those EDF guys have stuff right out of his comics, like giant robots and jetpacks and stuff." Eddy replies, chuckling slightly at how giddy their friend is likely to be tomorrow. The third part of the Ed trio, Ed is what most would call the dumb one. He isn't very intelligent by any standards, but he certainly is loyal and borderline obsessed with all things sci-fi and fantasy, if the numerous 50s B-movies and models in his room are any indication.

"Umm, actually Eddy, they aren't robots, they're mechs. Mechs are different in that they require a human pilo-" Double Dee begins, but is swiftly cut off by Eddy. "Yeah I know sockhead, it's just easier for me to say." Double Dee utters a quiet jab, something about Eddy's vocabulary.

"Anything on the to-do list until tomorrow?" asks Eddy, flipping through his magazine with the phone held up to his ear.

"Nothing in particular, though I do need to get this astronomy homework finished. How is yours coming along Eddy?"

Eddy looks over to his backpack, not even opened since he got home Friday afternoon. "Yeah...yeah it's coming along..."

"Well, that's good. I know it isn't your expertise, but academic excellence is a necessity for a successful future Eddy!"

Eddy groans.

"Uh-huh, good careers, yadda yadda. Anyway, you mind if I hop off? I still gotta eat breakfast." The end of Eddys sentence is punctuated with a loud growl of his stomach.

"Oh, not at all. I should finish packing anyway. Talk to you later Eddy!"

"Talk later." Eddy hangs up, hopping off his bed before heading to the kitchen.

As he walks down the hall, he can't shake this weird feeling. Like an odd kind of worry you feel when you know you've done something with consequences. He didn't know why he had this feeling, since he's been decently well behaved since that massive prank went wrong last year, which resulted in a massive chase to his brothers house. He just..can't place it. He can't shake the feeling that a field trip isn't the only big thing happening tomorrow...

"Ah, who am I kidding, what can go wrong?" Eddy says to himself, followed by a nervous chuckle...


	2. Chapter 2

AN

One tidbit I forgot to mention last chapter. This story will be using elements from many of the EDF games, such as enemies, weapons, equipment, and so forth. Most of it will be based around EDF 5 however. The rating may change down the road to M, but I'm not 100% on that yet. I'll wait until I get some reader feedback before I make a decision like that. Anyway, onto the story!

Chapter 2: Open House

A school bus belonging to the Peach Creek Department of Education was driving down a country road, just outside city limits. Inside were the entirety of the kids of Peach Creek, including our 3 "heros". Double Dee, sitting near the window, was going over the items he'd brought along the trip. He was wearing his usual outfit. Red shirt, long pants in place of shorts, and sneakers.

"Let's see...notepad, check. Planner, check. Educational records, check..." He continued muttering to himself, going over the memorized checklist.

Eddy looks to the side at his friend. "Jeez Double Dee, your school records? You know it'll be a good few years till you can apply for a job, right?" he says. If there's one thing Eddy couldn't understand, it was Double Dee's obsession with stuff like this.

Double Dee looks to his longtime friend. "Just because it will be a bit of time before I'm eligible for employment doesn't mean I can't make a good first impression, Eddy."

Eddy merely shrugged. He supposed he had a decent point. To his right, the last member of the trio, Ed, was playing what appeared to be an older handheld sci-fi game to pass the time, with a goofy grin on his face. He was wearing his standard green jacket, striped shirt and jeans. "How about you lumpy? You excited?"

Ed looked to his childhood friend, replying giddily. "You bet Eddy! It's like something from a comic book! I can't wait to see what they've got!" Ed was nearly bouncing in his seat with excitement as he waited for the bus to arrive. Even Eddy had to admit, he was pretty excited to check out a military base.

In the seat behind the Eds, a bald boy by the name of Johnny 2X4 with a...piece of wood with a drawn on face? Stood up and looked over the seat to join the conversation. "Me and Plank looked it up a couple days ago, and everybody says the EDF was made to save the world from aliens!"

Double Dee looked to Johnny with a very skeptical look. "Aliens, Johnny? I hardly think so. Firstly, alien life is totally unconfirmed. It's much much much MUCH more likely the EDF was founded as a peacekeeping force to fight terrorism and insurgency. Aliens, absolutely preposterous!"

Johnny looks almost offended. "No, really! Why else would they make it?!"

Double Dee merely shakes his head. "Johnny, if aliens were to come to Earth in our lifetime, it would most likely be in the spirit of peace and cooperation. There's no reason an advanced alien species with faster than light travel would be hostile." The very thought of hostile aliens...clearly his peers watched War of the Worlds too many times.

Ed looks over, in his usual goofy attitude. "If aliens do invade, I wanna make them run back to Globbulon V with their tentacles between their legs! FOR TEH EMPRAH!"

Both Double Dee and Eddy chuckle slightly at their dim friend. "Been playing 40K, haven't ya Ed?" Eddy remarks.

Ed rubs the back of his head and slightly laughs. "Hehe, sorry guys."

Eddy simply pats his shoulder. "Don't worry about it ya big oaf, it's part of your charm."

The remainder of the bus ride is uneventful as everyone talks about various subjects. Movies, games, the history quiz next Thursday, the usual. As the bus rounds the corner, the EDF base begins to come into view. As soon as it does, all the kids shift their attention. The base has several large buildings. Barracks, garages, maintenance buildings, and what appeared to be a service tunnel leading down to an underground section.

The school jock in the green sweater, Kevin, is the first to comment. "Whoa, dude! Check it out! They've got tanks right there in the lot!"

True to his word, there were several main battle tanks visible in a gated off lot. Most of the kids recognized them as the new E5 "Blacker" tanks, based off the German Leopard tanks. As well, there appeared to be several infantry fighting vehicles, going by the "Grape" designation mixed in there too. The kids were so busy staring that they failed to notice they stopped until the bus doors opened.

They all looked to the front of the bus, seeing a staff member stepping into the bus. wearing a blue jacket, black vest, grey pants and dress shoes, with a silver colored helmet and sunglasses. There was a large reflective patch on the front of his vest that said "Security".

"Good morning everyone!" the man began. His voice held authority, but still held a friendly tone. "I'm officer Bentley, and I'm assigned as the guide for your group." He looked them over, a small smile on his face. "I just want to lay down a couple of rules. You all follow me, listen, and absolutely no wandering off! The new base is massive, and it's easy to get lost. Any questions?"

Kevin is the first to raise his hand. "Do we get to see the tanks?" Officer Bentley chuckles, having expected that question. "You'll get to see a lot of what we have, including the tanks, don't worry. Anybody else?" At that, the "popular girl" of Peach Creek, Nazz, raises her hand.

"I heard you guys have like, giant robots. Is that true?" she says. Bentley smirks.

"That we do missy." The kids collectively let out an astonished "Ooooooh". He continues. "You're referring to the Nix series of powered exoskeleton combat vehicles. They're meant for counter insurgency in places like dense cities. Only need a single person, and more agile, so they're better suited for it than tanks." The kids whisper between eachother, wondering what other things the EDF may have here.

Bentley clears his throat. Time to get on the schedule. "Now, if everyone would form a line, we've got a long day ahead."

….

Two hours into the tour, and the Peach Creek kids find themselves in the large underground section of the base. The Eds are near the back of the tour group. Double Dee is frantically jotting down notes, and Ed is looking left and right at all the technological marvels like right out of his movies. Eddy meanwhile, seems pretty zoned out. He just seemed bored now.

"Man, will this guy ever stop talking? I'm surprised he isn't a politician." Eddy mutters, boredom claiming him. Double Dee responds, not bothering to look up from his notebook. "Oh come now Eddy, this is a once in a lifetime chance! It isn't everyday we get to go on a guided tour in the headquarters of such an incredibly well supplied and advanced organization, why, I'm practically speechless with the wonders we've seen thus far! Ed, you agree with me, right?" Double Dee looks up to get the opinion of their friend, but can't see him. Nor Eddy, matter of fact.

"Fellows?" Double Dee says worriedly, turning and looking everywhere. He catches sight of them slinking off down another corridor, opposite of where the group is heading. He looks back at the group, and towards his friends. He takes a moment, then quickly goes after his friends.

Catching up, he wastes no time in complaining of the consequences of their actions. "Do you gentlemen have any idea what you're doing?! You're going off tour in a military base! This might actually be a serious crime!"

Eddy responds as calmly as ever. "Relax sockhead, I just couldn't take more boring exposition from that guy and Ed wanted to look around anyway. If we get caught, we just say we got lost. No big deal."

Double Dee seemed at a loss for words. "No big deal? No big deal?! Eddy, I can't even begin to tell you how big a deal this is! This very well may count as trespassing! I don't even want to think of the charges brought against us if we see something we shouldn't!"

Eddy rolls his eyes, a bit annoyed. "Double Dee, you don't take any risks! I actually feel kinda sorry for ya to be honest."

Double Dee sighed. Try as he might, getting through to his friend on these matters was harder than escaping the event horizon of a black hole. "At least tell me you won't get us lost. The last thing we need is for the group to leave without us."

Eddy grins. "Relax, I'll have us back with the group in no time. Now come on, lets see what else is down here."

Double Dee sighs. 'I can't catch a break.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: THEM!

The Eds were walking down a long corridor, well separated from the rest of their group. Eddy leading the trio, seemed about as casual as usual. Ed was grinning like a kid in a candy shop, and Double Dee, unsurprisingly, was jittering and looking left and right, worried about getting caught.

Eddy spotted a massive blast door a good 30 meters down the corridor on the right, slightly ajar. "Hey guys, check it out." His companions looked to where his head was aimed. Seeing the open door, the three make to it, standing against the door. They peer inside, curious as to what cargo would necessitate such a massive door.

Their gaze quickly answered that question.

The door wasn't an entrance to a simple room or cargo storage area, but a massive hangar bay. On the other side of the room, on a large elevator, stood a construct of titanic proportions. A humanoid machine, standing 47 meters tall. Just looking at it was all the Eds needed to know it was heavily armored. Painted orange with numerous warning and caution signs, as well as a nameplate on the right shin, reading "Barga". It's fists were easily the size of busses, and probably hit far harder.

"Good lord!" muttered Double Dee, completely in awe of what he was seeing. "I-I've never seen anything like that! What in the name of all that's good is that?!"

Eddy was in a similar state of shock. "Whoa...that's just...dude..."

Ed, by contrast, may as well have just won the lottery.

"Wow! It's just like the Ultra-tech war bot from Super Mecha Slaughter 3! I wanna drive! I wanna drive!" Ed makes an attempt to dart in towards the machine, but Eddy and Double Dee grab him by the back of his jacket, keeping him in place.

"What do you think you're doing lumpy?! You have any idea how badly you'd get us in trouble if you started that thing up?!" Eddy chastised his friend. Even with his careless attitude, he knew when things were over his head. Ed blushed and grinned slightly. "But Eddyyyyyy, it's so coooooool!I just wanna touch it!"

Double Dee decided to edge in as well. "Oh no Ed, I know it's tempting, but you can't just go around bothering military equipment! Why who knows what you could do! Not to mention Eddy is right, we'd get in-"

"Absolutely monumental trouble." All three Eds froze. They recognized that voice. They slowly turned around, seeing none other than officer Bentley standing right behind them, an unreadable expression on his face.

Eddy was the first to get his faculties back. "H-heya there officer...what's uh...what's up?"

Officer Bentley crossed his arms. "We got back to the main atrium, and a quick headcount showed we were down a few. Mind telling me what you were doing this far down in the base without permission?" Eddy quickly comes up with his excuse. "W-well you see, we got distracted by a couple things, and when we looked, the group was gone! So uh, we just kinda wandered around till we could find someone to help out...heh..."

Bentley didn't seem convinced. "Riiiiight, so you just happened to get lost and stumbled into a very restricted part of the base then?" All three Eds looked down and shuffled in place, terrified of what might come next.

With a sigh, Bentley waved them to follow him. "Come on, we'll get this sorted out when we get to the atrium." The Eds silently began to follow behind, none too pleased with themselves. Double Dee turns to Eddy. "I told you wandering off was a terrible idea, now who knows how much trouble we're in!" muttered Double Dee, quite livid with his unofficial leader. "Hey, I didn't think we'd get made so easy in this huge place!" replied Eddy, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Ed too, isn't very thrilled. "No grounding for Ed, Eddy!"

A good minute goes by as they walk through the large corridors, their steps echoing. Suddenly, the lights overhead dim and shut off, Surprising the group. They come back on after four seconds seemingly without issue. "Huh...that's pretty odd..." says Bentley, somewhat confused as to the reason.

Eddy is the first to inquire. "What was that about?" Double Dee, none too bothered, answered his longtime friend. "It was probably a circuit short. They are pretty common in brand new buildings after all."

Eddy gave a shrug as they continued down the corridor. As they walked, officer Bentley pulled a small handheld radio from a pouch on his vest and switched it on.

"This is Bentley, I found the three missing kids and we're on the way to the atrium. The others still there?" Curiously, there was no response, static being the only answer he received. "Hello? Front desk? Are you receiving me?" Still, there's no response. "That's kinda weird..." he mutters. "Radio signals are usually a little murky down here cause of the tunnels, but I've never been totally cut off before..."

All three Eds looked to eachother, silently wondering what would cause a radio blackout like that. Maybe just interference?

Regardless, Bentley slid the radio back into it's pouch. "Oh well, come on kids. Still got a decent way to walk in here." The Eds collectively groaned, still not looking forward to whatever punishment awaits them.

Shortly afterwards, the lights once more flicked off. "Again?" Bentley said, annoyed. "Must be a pretty big circuit problem to-" He was unable to finish his sentence. Bright red emergency lights switched on, accompanied by a loud alarm, along with faint sounds of rumbling.

"What?!" Now, rather than annoyed, he sounded concerned. Eddy spoke up. "H-hey, what's up with the lights and that alarm? What's going on?" Double Dee and Ed shared the same concerned look as Eddy, hoping it wasn't anything too bad. They heard the rumbling, maybe a low level earthquake? Double Dee decided to speak up. "Officer? What does that alarm mean?"

Bentley looked to the young man. "It's the emergency alert alarm. Something bad is going on. It doesn't matter, come on, I gotta get you kids somewhere safe, follow me." At that, officer Bentley and the Eds began a jog down the corridor. The Eds were pretty thoroughly startled with all this, so they didn't complain. They turned a corner, another large door ahead of them.

"Okay kids, this way is a bit of a shortcut. We're heading to the atrium, and then we're gonna find out what to do." The Eds nodded, not wanting to stick around if there really was a big emergency going on. Bentley ran up to the door, taking a security keycard and swiping it through the electronic lock. As the door began to unlock, he turned to the Eds.

"Now listen kids, I don't know what triggered that alarm, so you gotta stick with me. Stay close and listen, and everything will be-" he was unable to finish his sentence. The second the door unlocked and slid open, something out of a B-movie nightmare rushed through the door. The Eds saw a massive carpenter ant, at least the size of a van, bolt through the open door, slamming its jaws down on officer Bentley before he even knew what was happening, thrashing him around like a dog with a bone. The Eds screamed in terror and surprise, falling on their backsides and crawling backwards against the wall in fear.

"Whoa! W-what the heck is that thing Double Dee?!" Eddy shouted, unsure if what he was looking was real or not. "I-I don't know Eddy! It shouldn't be possible for an insect to reach that size! I'm at a loss!" shouted Double Dee, barely able to process the abomination in front of him. "It's like something from my favorite movie from Monster Mania Weekend!" yelled Ed. Under most circumstances, he'd be stoked seeing something like this, but seeing it maul a man right in front of him? That killed the excitement.

The monster sized ant tossed Bentleys unmoving body to the side at the metal wall of the corridor. A quick glance was all the Eds needed to confirm the worst. The creature turned its head towards them, chittering its mandibles as it advanced. The Eds, right up against the wall, had nowhere to go. "W-what do we do Double Dee?! WHAT DO WE DO?!" screamed Eddy, terrified for himself and his friends. Double Dee couldn't even answer, fear having taken over as he silently mouthed noiseless words. Ed attempted to dig as he tends to be skilled at, but the thick metal of the floor was too strong, even for him.

The Eds were convinced this was it. Being eaten by a giant bug. Well...at least it wasn't the Kanker sisters.

Before it could get close enough, the Eds heard a loud voice further down the hall. "Quick! Put that thing down before it hurts those kids!" Before any other sound could be made or action undertaken, the deafening sound of automatic gunfire echoed in the corridor. Several rifles firing at once, dozens of bullets entering the massive ant. So much lead was finding a new home in its body that large chunks of its chitin exoskeleton were being blasted off. After more rounds than anyone would like to count, the creature collapsed, its body twitching on muscle reflex.

Loud footsteps were heard rushing towards them. The Eds looked up, seeing a man in an EDF infantry uniform, and a squad of similarly armed soldiers behind him. Most were wearing the usual green camo uniform of the EDF army, and armed with the new PA-11 assault rifle, an evolution from the M16. The man who ran up to them was different. His uniform was of a dark blue, with an orange helmet and shoulder pad, likely showing he was higher in rank. Rather than a rifle, he was wielding a military styled pump action combat shotgun.

"Are you kids alright?" asked the man, wasting no time.

Double Dee was the first to speak. "Y-yes we are, it hasn't so much as touched us. Thank you so much for helping us!" Double Dee was relieved to see he and his friends rescued by professionals. Eddy, after sighing in relief, looked up to the man. "Yeah we're fine. Oh man I don't even wanna know what might have happened...". His eyes briefly shot over to the late officer Bentley. "Who are you?"

The man gave a short salute before answering. "Staff Sergeant Liam O'Brian, EDF Rangers. You kids are lucky. We heard your yells and ran as quick as we could." The Eds stood up, shaken, but no worse for wear. "Lucky is pretty right I gotta say. Thanks man." said Eddy, in a rare moment of genuine gratitude. "What the heck is that thing?"

O'Brian began to answer while topping off his shotgun. "No idea. Whatever they are, they're swarming the base. We were making our way up when-" Eddy then cut him off. "Wait, you mean there are more of these things?!" O'Brian looked slightly annoyed, but responded. "There are. That's the third one we ran across on our way out."

The Eds got a look of pure terror. They couldn't help but wonder just how many of these monsters were roaming the red lit corridors. Double Dee attempted to wrestle control of his nerves and spoke. "Gentlemen, maybe it would be best if we made a move to evacuate? I'd really rather not stay down here to be quite honest..." Eddy and Ed looked to eachother, nodding. Right now, they needed to get out of here.

O'Brian loaded the last shell into his shotgun, chambering one before engaging the safety. "Agreed, but we'll need to make a quick stop on the way to the surface." Eddy looked at him, slightly confused. "Where to?" he asked as O'Brian waved them over to follow.

"The armory."


	4. Chapter 4

AN

Sorry for the extreme delay. Real life has been very busy, you know how it is. Hopefully I still have some readers hehe. Also sorry for the shortness, but next chapter will make up for it.

Chapter 4: Fighting Through

The trek to the armory only took about 5 minutes. The Eds, Staff Sergeant O'Brian and the group of EDF Rangers made their way through the hallways, on guard for any of the massive creatures. The Eds were visibly terrified, their eyes darting between the walls and ceiling for any sign of them. Not a word was said on the way, nervousness and anxiety having taken over.

The group came upon the armory. A large door marked with "authorized personnel only" stood before them. O'Brian walked up and entered a code into the keypad attached to the door, and it slid open after confirming the code. When it opened, the Eds jaws nearly hit the floor. Firearms of all types lined the walls. Rifles, pistols, shotguns, LMGs, anti-armor launchers, the works. Ed ran in, looking at the array of weapons.

"Whoa! It's like out of level 32 of Ultra Army Monster Smasher 2!" He ran between the racks, giddy as could be, despite the situation. Double Dee facepalmed, amazed at how he could be sometimes. Eddy looked side to side, then to Sergeant O'Brian. "So uh...why'd you take us here?" he asked, slightly confused.

O'Brian walked up to a rack with a PA-11 rifle, taking it off the rack and loading a magazine. "You ever used something like an AR15 kid?" he asked, turning around after finishing. Eddy responded with a confused look. "Uh , yeah, my dad has one and taught me how to use them...why?" No sooner than Eddy finished, O'Brian held the rifle out to him. Eddy, again confused for a moment, got a shocked look. "Wait, you mean you want us to fight those things too?!"Eddy could hardly believe it.

O'Brian pushed the rifle into his hands. "Yes, I do. Every single one of us needs to pitch in if we want to get out of here. You do want to get out in one piece, right?" Eddy was barely able to mumble a response. Here was a soldier handing him a gun and telling him to shoot giant bugs, and he had no idea what was going on. O'Brian handed Eddy an armored vest from a nearby rack, having already put extra magazines in the pouches. Eddy knew his protests would get him nowhere, so he just slipped it on over his head.

Double Dee couldn't believe what was happening. "Sergeant!" he exclaimed. "I realize this situation is beyond unusual, but we're civilians! We aren't trained to use military arms, or to fight! Isn't it the EDFs duty to protect non-combatants?!" O'Brian looked to him, almost as if he was sizing him up. He walked to another weapons rack and picked out another rifle. An M1 Raven, a carbine length variant of the PA-11. He spoke to Double Dee. "Normally yes, but do you want to take any risks?" Double Dee tried to think of a retort, but was unable to refute O'Brian. Double Dee looked down in exasperation, taking the carbine from O'Brian as well as a vest for himself.

O'Brian looked at, who was standing near a rack of shotguns. O'Brian knew right away what weapon would suit him. He grabbed a large combat shotgun resembling a Saiga-12 and handed it to the low IQ young man. Ed was near speechless, and happily accepted the combat load bearing vest as well. After loading up, the Eds admittedly appeared semi-professional, all things considered. O'Brian walked back to the entrance of the armory, but looked back to the Ed boys.

"Ok, here's the plan. Me and my rangers will take point, you kids cover the rear. You see any of those things or anything that looks like its on their side, you dump lead into them. Roger?" The Eds all looked to eachother nervously, but thought if they work together, they just may get through this. The look to the Staff Sergeant and give hearty salutes, punctuated with a loud "YES SIR!". O'Brian chuckled. These kids were starting to grow on him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Corridor Chaos

AN: Thanks for the criticism DorkStew! I started writing this chapter before your review was posted, but I'll keep it in mind going forward. To anyone else who reads my story, again I apologize for the delays in posting. The pandemic has me busy.

The Eds had to admit, they weren't looking too shabby. They were fully kitted out, and despite their immense anxiety about their situation, being able to protect themselves certainly raised their spirits. The Staff Sergeant walked back to the door to the armory and opened it back up to begin the groups exit. "Stick close, don't wander off." he said with a tone of careful authority.

All three of the Eds looked between eachother. Following O'Brian was probably better than just sitting and hoping for rescue. They followed him and the rangers out and into the large hallways, taking the rear to ensure nothing snuck up on them. They walked at a brisk pace, on edge for whatever could come next. "Man, I still cant believe this!" said Eddy in a hushed tone. "I thought the worst that could happen is lumpy breaks something and gets us in trouble, not getting attacked by giant bugs!"

Double Dee looked to his friend, tightly gripping his carbine. "Todays events are...beyond sensible comprehension indeed Eddy, but the sooner we leave the compound, the sooner we get to safety and find out what's going on." That helped to calm Eddy. Ed meanwhile was seemingly trying to reenact his favorite video game character as he tried to mimic some "tacticool" movements, making Eddy and Double Dee chuckle slightly.

The group came up to a bend, making a left. In front of them 25 meters ahead was another large blast door. "Alright folks." O'Brian began. "It shouldn't be too long a walk now." The group began advancing to the door, when suddenly a rumble could be felt. "Uh, guys? What's that?" uttered Ed looking around to determine the cause. Before O'Brian could answer, their route was suddenly cut off! A large cave in came crashing down in front of them, blocking the door with rubble and bits of metal. Before the group could get their bearings, a swarm of the giant ant like creatures came flooding down from the hole in the ceiling, horrifying the Eds and the soldiers alike.

"Wait, what?!" screamed O'Brian. He switched off his safety. "Everyone, open fire! Take those things down!" The rangers all began firing upon the creatures, a wall of lead smashing into them. The Eds at first seemingly too frightened to move, felt their survival instincts kick in. All three aimed their weapons at the creatures and opened fire. Eddy and Double Dee held their triggers down, spraying bullets into the monsters in front of them while Ed blasted away with his shotgun, the recoil making even him flinch a bit.

"Oh man, the ways blocked! What now?!" yelled Eddy, straining to make his voice heard over the gunfire and monstrous screeches. "We have to head back! There are a few other ways!" screamed O'Brian. "Everyone fall back! Fall back now!" Everyone began running back through the corridor, their legs carrying them as fast as they could. The Eds were at the front of the group, and were first to come along another fork in the halls.

"Guys, look! We can lose them down here!" yelled Eddy. The Eds ran into the right path, looking back at the rangers making their way as well. Before they could catch up to the Eds, several loud explosions could be heard on an upper level of the base, accompanied by a large shockwave. Ed looked up, seeing the ceiling above them beginning to crack from the shockwave. Having seen enough movies to know what's about to happen, he grabs Eddy and Double Dee by their vests and dives forward, just before the ceiling collapses...cutting them off from O'Brian and his rangers.

The Staff Sergeant looks behind, seeing rubble and twisted metal between him and the civilian kids he promised to get out of here. "Oh dear god no..." he mutters, barely able to juggle everything going on at once. He looks to see his men barely able to hold back the creatures and makes a decision, and runs to the wall of rubble separating the Eds from his group. He looks to them through a gap in the rubble. "Listen kids!" he yells. "Things just got a lot more complicated! You're gonna have to head through that section on your own!"

All three Eds adopted a horrified look. "WHAT?!" screamed Eddy. "You want us to walk through this place without you?! Are you crazy?!" O'Brian quickly replied back. "We can't blast through the cave in without doing even worse damage! Listen, there's another route, me and my guys will take it and meet up with you! Just keep moving and we should run into eachother!" Eddy merely looked flabbergasted. He looked to his two companions who shared the same look.

"B-but, what about what you said about getting us out of here?!" yelled Eddy. The chaos right now was almost enough to overload his mind, but he was trying to keep himself level headed.

O'Brian gave a small smile. "Don't worry, we'll meet up with you further down the line. Just keep moving and protect eachother! I'll keep my promise!" He looked back to his squad, desperately holding back the flood of giant insects. "Ok guys, down the hall! Move! Move!"

The sergeant and his men scrambled down the other hallway, quickly leaving the Eds sight as the sounds of gunfire got further and further away. Now, they were alone, at least for the time being. Ed being the lummox he is, put his back to the wall and slid down it with his head in his hands. "We're gonna get eaten like gravy covered biscuits with mac and cheese guys!" he yelled. Ed could be brave when needed, but even all this was a bit too much.

Eddy, once the shock of what just happened wore off, looked to his friend. He and his lifelong friend's journey to find his brother a year ago taught him some things. one of those things being leadership. He walked up to Ed and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him to get his attention. "Snap out of it lumpy! Sitting around and crying ain't gonna get us outta here alive!" Eddy pulled Ed to his feet and shoved his shotgun into his hands. "If we want to get out of here, we need to keep going. You heard what the sarge said, these halls will lead us to an exit."

Double Dee nodded. Seeing the de facto leader of their small group taking charge was inspiring, to say the least. "Eddy is right Ed. As long as we keep going and be careful, we'll meet up with everyone else, get somewhere safe and find out what's going on." Double Dee gave Ed a reassuring pat on the back, bringing a small smile to his friends face. Ed gave Double Dee a light hug and got himself back to shape.

Eddy took a few steps to the hall, motioning his friends to follow with a hand wave. "Come on guys. The sooner we ditch this place, the sooner we get back home. Jeez, I'd have ripped up my permission slip if I knew this was gonna happen..." The other two Ed-boys gave nods and followed, eyes darting all over the corridors for any sign of the creatures. Their foot steps echoing as they carefully advanced in the halls, tinted red by the emergency lights. All three of the boys gripped their weapons tightly. The only way they were going to escape was by counting on eachother. Topping off their ammunition, they moved on. Hopefully, they won't be down here for long.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I just want to thank everyone who has left a review or comment on my story. I read every one that's posted, and it's nice to know people are enjoying it so far. Also, I really wanna apologize for the delays. I am not abandoning this story. I work in an essential job, and the hours have been killer. And I've been really depressed recently so motivation has been rough.

Chapter 6: Bullets, bugs, oh my!

The three Ed boys were carefully making their way through the dimly lit corridors of the EDF base, holding their weapons tightly. Considering they were cut off from O'Brian and his troops, they were glad they at least have some form of defending themselves. Eddy was in front, then Double Dee, followed by Ed. The equipment on their vests were making slight clanking sounds as they moved with caution. All three were scared out of their minds, but knew that the only way out was heading forward. Staying put was surely a death sentence.

After a couple of minutes, the Eds came up to a large slope, going up. Clearly intended for vehicles, but it logically must be a good sign. The Eds walk up the steep incline to a turn in the hall, leading left. Eddy is the first to the turn, leaning slightly against the wall and looking past to make sure it'd be safe, and the Eds continue. Walking forwards to another bend, all three hear a low chittering noise past the bend, freezing their blood cold.

Ed is the first to speak, in a hushed tone. "G-guys? Do you hear t-that?" His monobrow furrows as his face adopts a look of fear.

Double Dee answers, chittering his teeth. He's always been the more frightened compared to his friends, and now was no exception. "I-I'm afraid I do E-Ed..." He was hyperventilating, his pupils the size of saucers.

Eddy tightens his grip on his PA-11, breathing heavy. "I-it's coming from around that corner..."

Eddy moves forward slowly, hugging the wall. He carefully and slowly moves to peek past the turn, and the color quickly drains from his face. At the other end of the hall is a horde of giant ants, obviously having dug up from under the base, judging by the tunneling hole at the corner. By now, the other two Eds had joined Eddy to see what lay beyond the corner, and had adopted similar looks of fear. The ants appeared to be tearing metal plating off the walls and dragging it down the hole, for what reasons, the Eds had no clue, and didn't really want to know.

Eddy looked back to his friends, needing to put in effort to speak clearly. "W-what are we supposed to do about those things?" he asked.

Double Dee took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm a-afraid we'll have to...fight our way through them Eddy..."

Eddy and Ed looked to eachother, wondering if Double Dee could be wrong, but a quick thought on the route proves him correct. Going back leads to collapsed hall, so forward is the only option. Eddy took a deep breath, then looked to his friends. "Ok boys, on my count, we'll let them have it, got it?"

Ed and Double Dee gave silent nods, ready to go. All three gave their weapons a quick once over, then stood by the corner of the turn. Eddy was first, followed by Ed and then Double Dee. Eddy held up five fingers, bringing them down by the second. When his last came down, he made a quick motion, and all three quickly turned the corner.

Before the monster ants could react to the sight of food, the Eds opened fire. Bullets and shotgun pellets ripped into the horde, the roar of gunfire almost deafening in the tight space. Chitin and sickly green blood coated the walls and floor as the Eds dumped their magazines. When one would reload, the other two instinctually covering. The ants attempted to charge against them, but the rain of lead and corpses of their brethren made it impossible. When the last ant collapsed as a lifeless husk, the entire engagement only lasted fifteen seconds.

The Eds could hardly believe they just mowed down a group of those things, and would pat themselves on the back...if it weren't for the smell. Double Dee smelled at the air, tainted by ant innards. "Oh good lo-!" He couldn't finish his sentence as he already began to throw up, the stench too much for him to handle. Ed and Eddy looked away to spare their high IQ friend the embarrassment.

Coughing to get his friends attention, Eddy looks to his allies. "Come on guys, we'd better move. I don't wanna stick around when those things's buddies crawl out to see what happened." Ed and Double Dee nod quickly, agreeing wholeheartedly.

The Eds move at a brisk pace, making their way through the halls and being careful not to go in circles. Eddy taking point and Ed taking up the rear. After a few minutes, the come to a large blast door blocking their path with no way around. Eddy looks up and down at the door, and gives it a swift kick, grunting in pain afterwards.

"Well this is just great!" he exclaims in frustration. "Now what are we supposed to do? We can't head back and this stupid door is in the way!"

Double Dee moves up, examining the door before spotting the control panel to the right side of the door. "Don't worry Eddy." he says. "The controls are right there. Just give me a few moments and I'm sure I can get it open."

Eddy sighs, gesturing to the panel. Double Dee gets to work opening the panel and tinkering with the wires while Eddy and Ed watch the hallway behind them incase those creatures catch up to them. It's times like this they're glad Double Dee always pulls straight A's in class. Double Dee disconnects, reconnects and sparks wires inside the control panel, attempting to bypass the ID card system. It takes about three minutes before he finally lets out a "Eureka!", signaling his success. He closes the panel and stands up, smiling with self satisfaction.

"Like I said gentlemen, just a few moments." He pushes the green "open" button, which raises the door. Before he or the other Eds could react however, a red ant, different in coloration to the previous examples of black ants bolts through the now open door, knocking all three Ed boys down, dazing them. It then looks to Double Dee, and leans down and clamps its mandibles down on his leg, making him yell out in pain as it lifts him up.

"EDDY! ED! H-HELP!" he cries as he reaches for his carbine, now hanging off him from the sling.

Hearing their friend scream immediately jolts them out of their daze as they see him be lifted up by the monster in front of them. "Oh crap! Double Dee! Hang on!" shouts Eddy. He pulls Ed up from the floor, and both begin unloading into the creature. They blast off chunks, but it only seems to annoy it. It kicks them back against the wall with one of its hind legs, making them shout from the impact as it flings Double Dee around.

The momentum of being tossed about luckily brings Double Dee's carbine within reach, allowing him to grab it. He grits his teeth in pain and nausea as he thumbs off the safety and aims at the creatures face and holds down the trigger, spraying a full magazine of 5.56mm rounds into its head at point blank range, making mincemeat of its head. The monster collapses dead, releasing Double Dee from its now limp maw. He carefully crawls back away from it, wincing.

Eddy and Ed, now recovered from their hard knock, rush to their friend. "Double Dee!" yells Ed in concern. "Are you ok?!"

Double Dee pulls the leg of his pants up, seeing a deep bite mark in his calf, bleeding from the injury. "I think so...but I can't keep moving without bandaging my injury with how deep it is..." he says as he grunts in pain. Fortunately, years of constantly getting beaten up by the rest of the cul-de-sac kids lead to them developing a hearty pain tolerance.

Double Dee looks to Ed. "Ed, I'm sorry to ask this...but can I use one of your jacket sleeves for this?"

Ed just gets his typical oafish smile before saying "No can worry boberooni!" before casually tearing one of the sleeves off his jacket like it was one of his many failed math tests and handing it to his friend.

"Thank you Ed." Double Dee says with a smile as he ties the bit of cloth over his injury, forming a makeshift bandage. After ensuring it's on there tightly, he gets up, replacing the empty magazine in his weapon. The Eds collectively turn to the direction of the open door, seeing a ramp leading up...and a shining light at the top.

The Eds all smile as Eddy grabs them by the shoulders and shakes them in glee. "We found the way out boys!" shouts Eddy in excitement. "Now we can get out of here, get help and find out what the heck is going on!"

"What are we waiting for?!" shouts Ed. The three all race up the ramp to the open exit at the top...

But their optimism is cut short when they begin to hear the roar of gunfire from dozens of weapons and the deafening sound of insectoid chittering outside.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I apologize for the extremely long delay. I really, truly can't apologize enough. There was some...family drama that needed sorting. I'll do my very best to make up for it.

Chapter 7: Well, this just gets better and better...

"Come on guys! We're almost home free!" Eddy yelled at his friends, trailing behind him. They were rushing up the ramp in the tunnel towards the surface exit, the sunshine visible already bringing huge smiles to their faces as they went as fast as their legs could carry them. Considering everything that happened inside the base, they were ready to get some help and pretend that...whatever all that was never happened. They bolted up, finally reaching the top, feeling the cool wind hit their faces. It had only been a few short hours, but felt like ages. They can finally just sit down and get their bearings.

But their relief was cut short as soon as they crested the ramp to see the rest of the base, and clearly hear what was going on.

The EDF base was in total chaos. Soldiers running in every direction, barking orders as a loud alarm blared from a watchtower overlooking the gate surrounding the perimeter. At this point, the Eds were beyond flabbergasted. Double Dee ran his hand over his forehead, wiping off some of the sweat from the dash up the tunnel ramp. "Good lord!" he gasped. "The entire base is on full alert! Its as if World War Three was just declared!" 

Eddy slumped his shoulders, appearing confused. "Wait a sec..." he muttered. "Why is everyone running around like crazies up here? Shouldn't they be going inside and killing those giant bug things and doing their jobs?!" He scratched the back of his head, wondering what could be keeping trained soldiers from going down and bringing the pain. "Everyone's running around like a chicken, eh Ed?" he said, expecting Ed to go on a rave about poultry from the mere mention.

But to his slight discomfort, not a word.

Eddy would've expected to hear his lummox friend go on and on about how much he loves chickens as soon as he heard the word, but he was totally silent. Eddy and Double Dee looked over to him, ready to ask if he's alright, but see him staring up at the sky with a steely, serious gaze, very out of character for him. The two follow his look up, wondering what could have caught his attention like that.

The moment they did, they regretted it.

High in the sky above their heads were dozens...no...hundreds of strange, silvery colored craft floating across the sky with no rotors or seemingly any propulsion. They were mostly saucer like in shape, with a kind of tail end reaching out to the side behind with some kind of red light on the highlights of the craft. Each was moving in absolutely perfect unison with one another.

Double Dee was the first to regain his composure, figuratively picking his jaw up from the floor. "Oh...my...what...what in the world is going on?!"

Eddy was huffing, trying to get words out. "A-are those some kind of jets or something? Are we at war with someone or something?!"

While the three were staring up at the craft, an EDF trooper had spotted them and ran over, grabbing Ed and Eddy by the shoulders, snapping them out of their stupor. He spoke with a loud voice in order to be heard over the alarms. "What the hell are you kids doing here?! And with guns?! All the on base civilians were supposed to be evac'd over an hour ago! Who are you with?!"

Double Dee cleared his throat, pushing the craft out of his mind. "I-I'm sorry sir, but one Mr O'Brian had us come up here."

The EDF soldier sighed. "Yeah, that figures. Well, you kids should know he already got back up here with another group of kids and were put on the last evac chopper about 20, maybe 25 minutes ago. I guess that was the rest of your field trip group?"

The Eds were relieved to hear their friends and the soldier who saved them had escaped to safety, but something the EDF trooper said shocked them back. "Wait a second.." Eddy said. "Last chopper? You mean there's no more helicopters left to get us out of here?!"

"Don't worry kids." the EDF trooper tells them. "We can radio in and say some civvies were left behind. Maybe they can spare an extra-"

Aloud crash interrupts the soldier as a massive metal pylon drops from one of the flying craft overhead and slams into the ground, digging into the earth. It has a shiny, silvery surface with a pink crystal at the very top, glowing dimly. All present stare at the object, confusion and shock present on their faces.

Eddy metaphorically picks his jaw up off the floor. "And what the heck is that?! I didn't think there would be freaking alien lollypops falling from the sky today!" No sooner than he finished his sentence, the crystal at the top of the pylon emits a bright pink flash. In the blink of an eye, several large ants appear in the air and quickly fall to the ground, advancing towards the first Human their compound eyes can see.

Eddy's eye slightly twitched, more annoyed than scared at the moment. "Aaaaand giant bugs coming out of nowhere...yeah...that's about right for my luck..." He sighed, slapping the bottom of the magazine in his PA-11 rifle to make sure it's seated properly, like his father taught him. Edd took a deep breath in and out. Ed merely cracked his neck and pumped a shell into his shotgun.

"Maybe we were safer in the base..."


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Nothing to report.

Chapter 8: Rain of Chitin

The constant roar of fully automatic gunfire was almost deafening. The hordes of giant insects outside the base perimeter attacking the gates was already causing issues, but this mystery pylon making them appear from nowhere inside the base was making things even more complicated. The Eds joined the EDF soldiers in a volley of bullets aimed at the creatures as they advanced after hitting the ground, firing so much that their shoulders were certainly badly bruised from the recoil. Eddy sprayed rounds at his target, Ed fired off blasts at the bugs that got too close for comfort, and Double Dee was down on one knee, selectively placing his shots, ever meticulous.

Double Dee dropped the empty magazine from his Raven carbine, outwardly identical to an M4A1, and slapped the bolt release. He looked forward to the creatures before him, seeing more appear from thin air. They didn't have infinite ammo, and at this rate, they and the EDF troops will be overrun. He bites his lip, attempting to think of a solution when he notices a pattern in regards to the pylon. Every time the creatures appear, the crystal on top flashes brightly. 'That can't be a coincidence...' he thinks. Taking a gamble, he shifts his aim upwards towards the crystal and unleashes a burst, the bullets impacting the crystal.

His assumption bares fruit. It cracks and quickly shatters, hundreds of crystal fragments exploding outwards as whatever energy it generated could no longer be contained. Immediately after the crystal shatters, the metal of the pylon itself crumbles into pieces.

Eddy blinks his eyes, then looks over to his hat wearing friend. "What did you do sockhead?!"

Double Dee gets a light grin as he turns to Eddy. "It's the crystals on top Eddy! However they make those abominations appear, the crystal is the key! Destroy the crystal, you destroy the pylon!"

Eddy looks back to the remains of the pylon, then back to Double Dee. "Sockhead, remind me to get you a jawbreaker later!"

Double Dee laughs slightly, but then looks up as something catches his attention. His eyes widen, and he quickly stands and dashes to Eddy jumping into him as another pylon crashes down on his former position, surely killing him had Double Dee not intervened. Eddy shakes his head and looks up at the pylon, then Double Dee who had just stood back up and reached his hand down for Eddy.

"Make that two jawbreakers..." utters Eddy. All three Eds hear another loud crash, and turn to see another pylon slam into the ground near the base building, and yet another fall directly over an unoccupied E5 Blacker tank, crushing the heavily armored vehicle like tin foil.

"Oh crap!" yells Eddy. "More of those lousy oversized glowsticks!" Eddy reaches into his vest and grabs a fresh magazine, slapping it into his rifle as he remembers his smarter companions actions a moment ago as he aims up at the nearest pylon and fires on the crystal, shattering it and destroying the pylon before it had the chance to bring more of those giant bugs.

"Booyah!" he yells.

Double Dee looks around, seeing the EDF troopers firing at the ants coming from the strange objects, but ignoring the flash from the crystal. This fight will be lost unless everyone focuses on the cause, not the symptom. He spots a fallen EDF soldier, a hole in his chest likely caused by impalement on the sharp, oversized leg of one of the giant bugs. He runs over and reaches for the mans radio, muttering a silent apology for the man as he thumbs on the radio.

"Everyone! The ants will just keep coming! Shoot the crystals on top of the pylons! I repeat, shoot the crystals! It's the only way to stem the tide!" he yells desperately into the device. The EDF soldiers all around can be seen tilting their heads down to the radio, then promptly shifting their aim upwards, blowing away the crystals in a brilliant display of light. The few remaining insects are quickly dispatched, most of the EDF troops around the base yelling in celebration.

The Eds pant, having survived another intense ordeal. Eddy walks up to Double Dee and gives him a playful jab on the shoulder. "That wasn't bad computer-for-brains! This is why I keep you around!" he jokingly says, giving a laugh while doing so.

Ed walks forward and picks Double Dee up with no effort, squeezing him in a big bear hug, his happy demeanor returned at the destruction of the immediate threat. "That was so cool Double Dee! Nobody is smarter than our third blah!"

Double Dee grunts, barely able to breath. "E-Ed...need...a-air..."

Ed blinks, then releases his friend, chuckling, slightly embarrassed. "Hehe, sorry Double Dee."

Double Dee stands back up, dusting himself off. "It's quite alright Ed, I just wonder where you got your Herculean strength."

All three Eds sigh, glad to be safe at the moment with the pylons gone. One of the EDF soldiers walks up to them, clearing his throat. "Well, I ain't gonna lie kids, that...was pretty impressive." The Eds merely blush. "Now that we have a minute, I'll radio and see if they can send another-"

His sentence is cut short as the ground shakes. All present turn to see yet another pylon crash into the ground from an above craft. And just a second later, another...and another. Within moments, dozens of the pylons crash into the perimeter of the base. Some EDF soldiers were even in...unfortunate spots when they landed, much to the Eds horror and disgust. The crystals on each one begin to flash, and dozens, then hundreds of massive insects appear from the flashes, beginning to swarm the base in a massive sea of chitin and fangs.

The Eds look around, totally horrified at the sight before them. Eddy gulps and speaks. "W-w-what do we do now?! There's so many of those things!"

Ed grips his shotgun tight enough to make cracks appear in the polymer. "I DON'T WANNA BE THE LUNCHTIME GUYS!" he yells.

The EDF trooper who had spoken to them looked around for a moment, then turned on his radio. "Code black! Code black! There's way too many! The base is lost! Repeat, the base is lost! All surviving personnel fall back!" He looks back to the Ed boys.

"Kids, we're evacing to the city on foot, and you're hoofing it with us!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: This Means War

All the remaining EDF troops and the Eds have been walking for a couple of hours now, a safe distance from the overrun base as they make their way to a safer location. The Eds were flanked by a dozen EDF troops, all that was left after the evacuation. They all walked down a country road, abandoned and wrecked cars occasionally seen on the road.

Eddy slicked his hair back as he let out a tired sigh. "Man I can't freaking believe this..." he says, an annoyed tone in his voice. "We get attacked by giant bugs, get separated from the others, have to fight more giant bugs, and now we've been walking enough that my feet are killing me." He turns, facing Double Dee. "Any idea when we'll get to Peach Creek sockhead?"

Double Dee sighed, limping slightly due to the long walk and its effect on his injured leg. "Well, we've walked for about...two hours now? We should be getting there momentarily Eddy, don't worry." he says.

Eddy clears his throat. "Right, right. I just hope our houses and parents are ok, ya know? This crap is just...insane."

Ed hears this and pouts. "I hope my Mega Sun Air Commando comics are ok..." he mutters.

Eddy groans slightly. "I'm sure your comics are fine monobrow, relax."

The EDF trooper that was commanding the retreat from the base overhears their exchange, and slows down his stride to walk beside them. "Don't worry kids." he says, injecting some confidence into his voice for their sake. "A town like Peach Creek doesn't have anything to worry about. I'm sure the rest of the EDF is holding off whoever is behind this." He gives Ed a pat on the back and all three Eds a reassuring smile.

The Eds and soldiers continue their walk until they come to a hill, the last hurdle before being in sight of the town of Peach Creek. They were almost home. All three Ed boys adopted large grins, an added bounce in their step as they started to climb the slight incline of the hill.

"Oh man!" yelled Eddy. "We're almost home guys! My bed is calling my name!"

Double Dee and Ed looked to eachother, smiles plastered on their faces as they followed their unofficial leader as all three ran past the soldiers, eager to get into sight of the place they call home. They begin to crest the top of the hill, already excited to see the familiar sight. Eddy begins to speak. "Oh Peach Creek, sometimes I hate ya, but right now I love-"

His sentence was cut tragically short the moment they crested the top.

Before them in the distance was Peach Creek alright, but not how they left it. Smoke could be seen rising into the sky from burning buildings as dozens of the strange craft could be seen hovering over the town. Explosions could be seen going off at some points in the town, and some notable large buildings simply weren't there anymore.

Double Dee blinked. His mind was almost caught in a loop, his mouth opened in an attempt to speak, but all that came out was a slight squeak. Ed stood still, his eyes wide as he looked over the ruins of the town he'd lived in his whole life. Eddy, rather than appearing shocked or scared...actually looked more furious than anything else, his face getting red in anger and annoyance.

The EDF trooper that had interacted with them before walked up the hill behind them. "Kids? Hey kids? What's the ma-" His words needed no continuation when he saw what had gained the Eds attention.

"Oh my god..." he mutters under his breath, now keenly aware that the base itself was not the only sight of attack. He turns on his radio. "Command...this is the remains of the EDF contingent of Peach Creek Base...anyone?"

Static crackles over his radio as the Eds look to him. Now more than ever, they needed to know they weren't alone. The soldier repeats. "Command, please, is anyone there?" The static is broken after several seconds.

"We read you PCB, what's the status of the compound? Over." says a voice on the other end, sounding like it belongs to an older man.

The trooper replies. "The base is lost sir. I say again, the base is lost." He looks behind him to the remaining troops and in front of him to the Eds, who wait to hear what this conversation may bring as they glance to eachother. "We are twelve EDF personnel and three civilians, needing a location for evac. Say again, we've got civvies with us sir."

The radio crackles in reply. "Roger contingent. The town of Peach Creek has been lost to OpFor. Word from the top is the enemy is extraterrestrial in origin."

Those words made the Eds and every EDF trooper present stand still, all their mouths agape. "I-I'm sorry sir..." began the trooper. "Did...did you say "extraterrestrial"? As in...alien?"

The reply only takes a second to come through, but for the Eds and soldiers, it feels like an eternity. "Affirmative contingent. Hostiles are alien in origin. Several city sized craft were detected in the upper atmosphere. This is an invasion."

The Ed boys couldn't believe what they were hearing. An alien invasion? Double Dee put his hand over his mouth in terror at the realization. "An invasion...good lord...that means that...nowhere is safe..."

Ed, while normally the first to get giddy at the idea of fighting an alien menace, found it wasn't nearly as cool as he thought it would be. "They're gonna suck my brains out through my toes!" he yelled, his mind flooded with thoughts of what the menace may do to him.

Eddy merely stared back at the burning remains of the town of Peach Creek, too stunned and overcome with thought to insult his friends intelligence.

The EDF trooper found his voice again. "R...roger that sir...but, we still need evac and to get these civilians out of here. Are any evac points set up? Over."

"Positive on that. The only evac point still active is at Peach Creek Junior High School. All other evac points were overrun by OpFor. The last choppers will arrive at 1930 hours. Be there. Out." The radio falls silent as the final ultimatum comes through, all present standing still in contemplation and shock.

The EDF soldier, hearing the news, stands straight and yells to his cohort. "Alright! You guys heard them! Peach Creek Junior High by 1930 hours! Lets hoof it people!" The EDF troopers mutter amongst themselves, but fall in line behind their superior, beginning down the hill to the school evac point. Double Dee breaks out of his shocked stupor.

"W-wait a moment sir!" he yells, catching the soldiers attention.

"What is it kid? You heard the radio. We either get out of here by 1930 or we don't get out at all." he responds, wondering why these kids would want to hold them up.

Double Dee gulps nervously as he replies. "I realize that sir...but...could I please ask that we take a detour to see if our homes and families are ok? The trip wouldn't cost much time at all."

The ranking trooper looks to Double Dee, seeing the desperation on his face, and sees the same look on Eddy and Ed. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine...but this better not screw us over."

All three Eds take a breath of relief. At least they'll be able to check on their homes.

It takes roughly 45 minutes for the group to walk through the war torn town, towards the Eds home neighborhood. They've encountered groups of giant insects along the way, but thankfully hadn't suffered any casualties in dispatching them. They turn a corner, coming upon the cul-de-sac.

Or more accurately, to the Eds great horror, what's left of it.

Every house was demolished, walls ripped down, roofs collapsed, scorch marks, even marks from explosions and bullet holes littered the entire area. Eddy's house is totally destroyed, the wood of the former building smoldering in a pile of ash. Double Dee's house fares no better, the roof having fallen down with the walls collapsing inward, making the building appear as if it had imploded. Ed's had suffered the least, but was still ruined beyond repair with the entire right side of the house blasted away, with the entire second floor collapsed. The Eds can hardly believe their eyes, their minds desperately trying to rationalize this as a nightmare or a fever dream they can't wake up from.

Edd breaks the silence, tears running down his cheeks. "How...why did this have to happen..." He looks all around, seeing the neighborhood he and his friends have lived in for most of their lives in totally destroyed. "Why did today have to happen...why...d-did..." He can't utter another word as he sinks to his knees his breathing hitching as he tries not to break down.

Ed takes several steps in the direction of what was once his home. The damage was clear, and he was certain all his most prized possessions were totally destroyed. His comics, his games, his models, even his vintage 1950s B-movies, all gone. He can do nothing but stare, unable to come up with words.

Eddy, unlike his friends, feels a far different emotion. "Those...those ugly alien bugs think they can tear my house down and invade my planet..." He grinds his teeth and tightly grips his rifle, rage becoming ever clearer on his face. "They've got another thing coming..."

All three are broken out of their stupor as they hear boots solemnly walking up behind them. Turning, they see the commanding EDF soldier leading what remains of the base forces. "I'm sorry kids. I truly am." he says, his voice low. "But we need to get to the school to get you kids out of here and somewhere safe."

Ed, Edd and Eddy all looked to eachother. They nod, and fall back in line. They can grieve and snap later, right now they've got a chopper to catch.


End file.
